Statement on the Ministerial Meeting on Sudan

Ahead of the conference, the UK Government has announced £120 million in humanitarian funding for Sudan. This is welcome but will not come close to meeting the needs of the scale of this current crisis where nearly 25 million people – half of Sudan’s population – are in need of humanitarian assistance.

When Women for Women International consulted with women across Sudan during our "From Asking to Action" global consultation, we heard that food scarcity was the second most pressing challenge facing communities - with war, conflict and insecurity being the first. These challenges have not changed since we launched the consultation, as we heard from Fatima Ahmed, President of Zenab for Women in Development:

Sudan is facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with [millions] displaced and people deprived of necessities like food, medicine, safe water, and shelter. Refugee camps and shelters are overwhelmed. Immediate and sustained resources are needed to combat famine, malnutrition, disease, and thirst, especially for vulnerable groups such as children and women.

It is essential that the quality of new funding announcements emerging from the Sudan Ministerial Meeting is gender sensitive and meets the needs of first responders, including women-led and women's rights organisations (WROs). Initiatives must take into consideration the increased risk of backlash and violence, including conflict related sexual violence, that women human rights defenders face on the front lines responding to this crisis.

Funding and engagement should be direct and based on WROs strategic assessment of their needs and adjusted based on the emerging crises or context changes. As we heard from Salah Mohyeldeen Aljailany, Sudan Family Planning Association – where services do exist, many women across Sudan are currently unable to reach them due to displacement:

Many states are still experiencing conflict, leading to significant challenges for women. They are being displaced, unable to access health services, and lacking security and privacy in shelters. Additionally, they still require nutrition and non-food items (NFIs). SFPA provides dignity kits and mobile clinic services at various IDP gathering points, but more support is needed. This includes establishing pathways for the referral and management of survivors.

Sudanese civil society - especially women-led and feminist organisations – should be meaningfully consulted and engaged at every stage of decision-making on Sudan including in all follow-up processes of this conference.

Responding to today’s conference, Women for Women International’s Director of Global Policy and Advocacy, Stephanie Siddall said: “This renewed political momentum must transfer into tangible and measurable outcomes. This means ensuring accountability for all acts of conflict related sexual violence, a redoubling of efforts to secure a ceasefire, and supporting WROs to safely deliver their services to meet the urgent needs of communities across Sudan.”

The expertise, leadership and active participation of Sudanese women’s rights leaders are essential to ensuring that resources reach those most in need - and to securing both an immediate political solution and a lasting peace process that can bring this war to an end.